What is AIDA Plan in Business Communication ( Attention, Interest, Desire, and Action Plan)

AIDA PLAN ( Attention, Interest, Desire, and Action Plan)

In solicited letters you need only to open with favorable information about the prospective purchase, expressed in terms of reader’s interest. In unsolicited messages, you work harder to gain and keep attention and interest, in order to keep the letter being thrown into the trash can.

The basic guide of the organization of your sales letter is AIDA formula: attention, interest, desire, and action. Most sales letters are prepared according to the AIDA plan; or some variation of it. Although the following discussion focus separately on each part of the AIDA Plan, the parts need not always to be sequence, not need all parts be in every letter.

Attract Your Prospect’s Attention.

Readers may (when you letter arrives) be thinking about something else. They may not want to consider another proposal. Also they may have been expecting another message and thus find your letter disappointing. Therefore, your first sentence will have to succeed in generating willingness to read.

So, the receiver’s attention must be captured in the opening sentence. It is important that the opening sentence should be brief and positive. Short paragraphs look easy to read.Of Course, there are many methods to attract the receiver’s attention. These methods include famous quotation, rhetorical question, interjections, anecdotes, metaphors, of the products. Cliché openings, exaggerations, and falsehood should be avoided. Gimmicks may be used but should not give the receiver the impression that an attempt is being made to mislead him or her. For example, beginning a letter with “your investment of Rs. 1500 may grow to Rs 27000 by the end of the year” will probably cause the receiver to read no further because the message is unrealistic.

The opening paragraph to sell an expensive mantel clock is as follows:

Your time is precious, especially when it is kept by a clock as magnificent as this “thing of beauty which is a joy forever.” Crafted of finest quality mahogany and hand painted with traditional Chinese scenes, this masterpiece is worthy of becoming a family heirloom, to be passed on to grandchildren, and theirs.

From a long advertisement from a man’s store, accenting quality and traditional timeless designs.

THE KIND OF SPORTSWEAR WE SELL LOOKS BETTER THE OLDER IT LOOKS. IT IS NOT THAT A DUMD WAY TO RUN A BUSINESS?

• Watch for these weaknesses in opening paragraphs of sales letters.
• 1.      A too long first paragraph. Although opening paragraphs should be short in all business letters, overly long ones are particularly bad in sales letter, in which you must gain and hold attention.
• 2.      Questions with obvious answer, such as “would you like to increase profit”?
• 3.      A writer centered opening, such as “we are proud to announce the opening of our new store.
• 4.      Slow opening such as “we have received your inquiry about our products, we are writing to give you’re the information your requested.
• 5.      A reference to the cost of the purchase unless price is to be used as central selling point.

Arouse interest.

The receiver’s interest must be held after his or her attention is gained. The topic of the firs paragraph is expanded while maintaining the interest of the receiver. Interest will be maintained when the receiver sees benefits for himself. Therefore, you must give specific objective details about the product or service you are attempting to sell. You should tell your reader what your product or service will do for them. You should highlight your product’s or service’s unique feature. Examples are given below.

      1.      The new super slim iPhone once again redefines what a digital music player should be. It is lighter than 2 CDs, can hold up to 10000 songs, thousand of digital photos, and works as a personal voice recorder. Now you can sync with iTunes for Mac and Windows at blazing speeds, and take your entire music collection with you wherever you go. Available for Mac and Window starting at Rs. 22000.

      2.      The surma is unique for the history of medicine. It is the essence of numerous herbs. It has been submerged in roses. It is panacea for all eye diseases such as infection, swelling, sore and vision impairment. It will make vision better. The gifted camera like an eye is not available even for a million.

Creating Your Reader’s Desire by Presenting Convicting Evidence.

Once you have the reader’s attention and interest, you must now create a desire for the product of service you are selling. For this purpose, you should offer the proof of the benefits the reader can gain. Doing so will motivate the reader to take the requested actions.

In addition, you must give specific objective details about the product or service you are attempting to sell. You should tell your reader what your product or servie will do for them. You should study the product and then select those features which make it superior to other of this kind. Stress features for reader’s point of view.

In general, use colorful verbs and adjectives that convey a dynamic image. Be careful, however, not to overdo it, “ your factory flours will sparkle like diamond” is hard into believe and may prevent your audience from believing the rest of the message.

Talking about Price

Price is a complicated issue. You can prepare your readers for your product’s price by subtle choice and arrangement of words. Such words as “luxurious” and economical provide unmistakable clues about how your price compares with that of competitors.

If price is not a major selling, your could leave our price altogether or mention it in an accompanying brochure. You could deemphasize price by putting the actual figures in the middle of the paragraph close to the end of your sales letter, well after you have presented the benefit and selling points.

There are two other techniques for minimizing price. One it is break a quantity price into units. Instead of saying a carton of cold drinks cost Rs. 500, you might say some other product or activity. Your aim is to make the cost seem as small and affordable as possible.

Supporting Your Claims

People will not believe what have said in writing. You will have to prove your claims, especially if your product is expensive.

In the middle paragraph of the letter, give enough time and space to build conviction. You will not convince with vague generalities such as saying that the product is fine, beautiful, strong, or “absolutely the finest the world”

Give reasons, details, and specifications to convince the reader that the product is absolutely the finest in the world.

Do not speak in generalities. If the product is sturdy, why and how? If it is roomy, how big it is? If it is dependable, how do you know? If it is economical to operate, how many miles to a gallon? How do you know that it gets that many miles to a gallon? How do you know that the tests were reliable? For this purpose, include testimonials from satisfied users and celebrities; cite statistics from scientific studies of the product’s performance. Enclose samples and broachers. Offer guarantees of exchange or return privileges to indicate that you have faith in product and are willing to back it up. Here is an example.

Guarantee: Candy is produced under the strictest quality control and should reach you in perfect condition. If you are not entirely satisfied with this product, please return it within 30 days. Your statutory rights are not affected.

Be sure that the reader understands exactly what a response action is and how accomplished. Make this action easy and risk free. Do not ask for a letter in return. Only a pencil check on a postage paid card or perhaps a signature. If you want the reader to telephone, give the telephone number. If you want the reader to come into store, give the location of store and hours it is open. So if possible give your reader a couple of options for responding, such as a tall free number and website to visit.

Induce Reader Action

You must persuade the reader to take immediate action once you have built his or her interest and desire. Specify the action preferably in terms of reader interest, make action easy.

Try to motivate the reader to take prompt action. If there is no particular reason to act quickly, many sales letters offer discounts for orders placed by a certain date or prizes. Other suggest that purchases be changed to a credit card or be paid off in future. Still other offers a free trail, an unconditional guarantee, all in an effort to overcome the reader’s natural inertia.

The paragraph shown below is from a publishing house t a college professor:

Just return the enclosed card and we will have our salesman, Ghulam Qasim, call on you. He will bring a free copy of “Practical English Grammar” for tomorrow’s Leaders and discuss with you the benefits of using this book in your class room.

Another request for action is given below:

To order, simply complete the enclosed postage paid reply card and drop it in the nearest postbox. You will receive yr first issue of “The Human Psyche” in about three weeks.